My current obsession – Goat Cheese!

So I mentioned in my last post our vinegar meal. This delicious dish was part of it. I often have the food network on while I’m at work. I don’t pay close attention (because I’m working!) but if something jumps out at me, I’ll e-mail myself the recipe to check it out at home. That was the case with this yummy side. I knew we love goat cheese, and tomatoes, and vinegar, so it sounded perfect.

The first time I made it, we thought it was way too much cheese. It was delicious, but very rich so needed more salad and tomato than cheese. The second time I made it was for a snack after work. I had a goat cheese craving! That time I used a little less cheese, and used panko bread crumbs which gave a really nice crunch to the dish. I would definitely make it that way the next time. Some other changes I made: Roma tomatoes instead of beefsteak, raspberry vinegar instead of red wine, and the first time I used italian bread crumbs (seasoned).

By the way, I have to really limit myself, at Sam’s Club on Sunday I wanted to buy 5 different kinds of cheese! But I cut my list down to three: parmesan, mozzarella (fresh of course), and feta. Next time I’ll get more goat cheese, for now feta will do 🙂

Crusted Goat Cheese with Herb Salad on a Tomato Steak

Ingredients
1/2 cup dried panko crumbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon water
1egg 4 rounds fresh goat cheese (smaller than the tomato slice)
4 thick, ripe roma tomato slices
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the salad
2 cups lightly packed mixed tender fresh herb leaves (I used basil, chives and watercress)
Raspberry vinegar

Directions
In a small, shallow bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with salt and pepper to taste. Add the water and work it in with your fingers to moisten the crumbs lightly. In another small, shallow bowl, beat the egg just until blended.
Dip one flat surface of each goat cheese round in the egg, and then in breadcrumbs, patting the crumbs in place. Repeat on the other flat surface, leaving the sides of the rounds uncoated. Refrigerate the coated cheese rounds for about 15 minutes. (I didn’t refrigerate with the panko, it held the cheese together better and browned faster)
Center the tomato slices on 4 salad plates. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over moderately high heat. Add the 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is almost smoking, add the cheese rounds, one coated side down. Cook until lightly browned, about 45 seconds, then turn and cook on the second side until the cheese just feels quivery, about 45 seconds longer, depending on the thickness of the rounds. Place a cheese round on each tomato slice.
In a bowl, toss the herbs with a splash of red wine vinegar, a light drizzle of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Mound the herbs on top of the cheese, dividing them evenly. Serve immediately.